Pulley supporting device



Feb. 20, 1940." c. L. MATTISON PULLEY SUPPORTING DEVICE Filed Jan. 9, 1939 UITTOQYE. s

Patented Feb. 20, 1940 PULLEY SUPPORTING DEVICE Carl Lawrence Mattison, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Mattison Machine Works, Rockford, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application January 9, 1939, Serial No. 249,991

6 Claims. (01. 74242.15)

The invention relates to pulley supporting devices and a general aim of the inventionis to 5 -up and adjust, and which is comprised of a few i g t e d W ng, I3 designates a base ari simple castings requiring little machining whereranged to be Suitably s e o the floor It or by the device may be manufactured and sold at a other fixed structure. Upstanding from the base relatively low t, is an elongated rib 55 which is horizontally Another object is to provide, in such a device, bored to receive a longer shaft iii. Horizontally H.- novel adjustable relationships which permit the Spaced arms ii on a swinging frame It straddevice to be quickly and accurately associated die the ends of the rib l5 and are journaled on witha cooperating wheel or pulley and include an the projecting ends of the shaft it. Intermediarm having two parts connected for relative swivate the arms ll, the frame has a vertical bore cling adjustment on a longitudinal axis, one it in which the lower end of a stub shaft 2o l5 1 of the parts being supported for pivotal moveis r gidly fixed, as by a set screw 2| (Fig. 1). l 153' ment on a transverse axis, the other of said parts The upwardly extending end of the stub shaft supporting the pulley for rotation on an axis rotatably supports an elongated sleeve 22 consubstantially parallel to said transverse axis. S ut g a part of an idler pulley bracket 23 Provision may also be made for adjustment of (Fig. 3).. The sleeve may be lined with hearing zothe pulley lengthwise of it axis, material 24. The sleeve is maintained against Further Objects are to provide new d i axial movement on the stub shaft by such means proved means for maintaining an operative tenas bearing collars 25 held by set screws 26 and sion on an associated belt and in conjunction disposed one between the lower end face of the therewith to provide novel means for rendering Sleeve and the frame and the other adjoining 35 the maintaining means inoperative while a belt the upper end face of the sleeve. 25 is being assembled or removed. The pulley bracket 23 includes .a horizontally Other objects and advantages will become apofiset arm 2'! (F g. 3) connected with the sleeve parent in the following description and from the 22 and dimensioned to extend beyond the upper c p y ng drawing, in which: end ofthe stub shaft in substantial parallelism Figure 1 illustrates in side elevation a pulley with the shaft axis. A head 28 at the upper end 30 supporting device embodying the features of the 0f the arm has a horizontal bore 29 opening into invention in operative association with a belt the stub shaft side thereof to receive an axle and a coacting wheel or pulley. 3!] on which a pulley 3! is rotatably Supported b Fig. 2 is a vertical, central sectional view antifriction bearings, generally indicated at 32.1 through the device taken on a plane at right It will be noted that this arrangement dis 35 angles to the pulley axis. poses the pulley directly above and substantially Figs. 3 and 4 are views on an enlarged scale on the axis of its support with the pulley axis Showing wn of assembly and are taken subapproximately intersecting at right angles the stantially on the lines 33 and 44 in Fig. 1, axis of the stub shaft. Means are provided for M) respectively, adjusting the position of the pulley relative to The present invention will for illustrative purits support so that the device as a whole may he poses be described and considered as being emalined with the cooperating rotatable member bodied in an idler pulley support adapted for with fair accuracy and the pulley thereafter association with the motor driven work wheel quickly and precisely adjusted to a proper operatl5. In (Fig. 1) of a lathe, generally designated ll. ing relation. Referring to Fig. 3, an axial ad In many instances, it may be desirable to conjustment of the pu y is Show as Comprising vert such machine to the use of an endless abraa screw 33 mounted on the closed end of the Sive belt '2' The upporting d i embodying head 28 for screw threaded engagement with a the presentinvention enables conversion with substantially axial bore 34 in the inner end of 50. minimum difficulty and at relatively little exthe axle 30. The screw is; in this instance, held 50. pense. It will, however, be evident that the inagainst other than rotative movement by a 1. vention and the several features thereof are well lar 35 fixed on the screw inside the head and adapted for ,use in many environments other a .handwheel 36 pinned to the screw externally than this particular one. adjacent to the head. Manipulation of the screw The exemplary form of the device herein illusby the handwheel willextend or retractthe pulprovide a new and improved device of this nature which is of compact construction, is easy to set trated comprises a novel arrangement of a wheel or pulley and adjustable means mounting it in proper position to cooperate with the finishing wheel in the support of the endless belt. Re-

ley. The final position of adjustment may be fixed, if desired, by a set screw 3'! or the like.

The pulley is also adjustable to locate the beltengaging face thereof in operative parallelism with the belt, this adjustment being effected by bracket sleeve 22 has an outstanding member A axial movement.

other adjustments.

; support.

which carries a nut 12 located in spaced alinement to the aperture in the head 39 for engagement by a screw 43. One end of the screwextends through the aperture H in the head 39. A col- .lar M and a handwheel 45 are fixed to the screw and bear respectively on the inner and outer faces 49 of the head to hold the screw against Rotation of the screw shifts the bracket sleeve 22 to adjust the pulley substantially about the axis of the stub shaft. Thus, the operator, having approximately located the device properly with respect to the opposing wheel, and having shifted the pulley axiallyto center the pulley and the wheel, may effect an angular adjustment of the pulley surface for proper belt'engagement without disturbing as A set screw dii on the bracket sleeve for engagement with the stub shaft may be employed to secure the pulley in its .rotatably adjusted position. It will be evident that the sleeve and the lower bearing collar may be rotatably moved as a unit so that the bracket may be located, as desired, on either the right or the left hand side of the device.

A feature of the present construction. is the relationship of the pulley adjustments to each other and to the shaft is about which the support swivels or rocks. Thus, the rotary adjustment of the pulley is located between the pulley and its pivotal axis and is efiected by relative swiveling movement between the two parts of the pulley supporting arm. The position of the pulley may therefore be adjusted independently of the swinging connection avoiding the difliculties which might be present if the rotary adjustment of the pulley also involved shifting the position of the Moreover the arrangement readily permits reversal of the pulley support by turning it through 180 to locate the bracket 23 on the right or left hand side of the pulley. As to the axial adjustment of the pulley, the location of the adjusting means between. the pulley and the rotary adjusting means permits the axial adjustment to be made without disturbing the position of the rotary adjustment means.

As a further advantage of these relationships, the support may be fashioned as a relatively simple. two part casting which requires no accurate machining as would be the case if the entire support were to be mounted for movement to provide the same adjustments.

Means is provided for urging the pulley in a direction which yieldingly maintains the belt taut. Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the frame it has a lateral projection t? (Figs. l. and 2) thereon extending generally radially of the pivotal axis of the pulley supporting means. The projection may be reenforced by side members 28' and has an enlarged vertical aperture it therein. Secured to the base and extending upwardly through the aperture is a rod 5%] which is; encir-' cled above the projection by a coil spring 5i.

I The spring is confined between an adjustablenut and washer assembly 52 on the upper end of the rod and a washer 53 loosely carried. on the rod for rocking abutment with an arcuate upper surface 5d formedon the projection. The parts are arrangedin assembly to swing the pulley away from the cooperating wheel or on the line of the belt in a belt tightening direction. Hence a yieldable force will be exerted on the belt to maintain it under a desired operating tension. Moreover,

the arrangement permits retraction of the pulley to facilitate installation of a belt.

For the convenience of the operator in making a belt installation, means may be provided for holding the pulley in retracted position. To this end, the projection has a pair of outwardly extending'fingers 54 pivotally supporting adepending latch member 55 arranged, when the pulley is retracted, to swing by gravity to a vertical position in which the lower end of the latch member rests on the base 7 it. This position may be suitably determined by such means as a stop lug From the foregoing description, it will be evident that a new and improved device for adjustably sur rting a wheel or pulley and for applying 'oper operatingtension to a belt enthereby has been provided which is const ucted primarily of castings requiring little inachi ing and no highly accurate finishing. The device may be quickly installed and adjusted for proper operation with practically any machine requiring the association therewith of a wheel or pulley. The arrangement of the pulley with respect to its axis of rotary adjustment permits the operator readily to make such changes as may be necessary to compensate for irregularities in different belts or to prevent uneven engaget of the pulley and belt which would tend to s etch one side of the belt more than the other. The means for maintaining the belt in a taut condition will respond instantly to take up any slack produced in the belt during use, and the latching means facilitates installation or replacement of a belt.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, I have shown in the drawing and have herein described in detail the preferred embodiment, but

it is to be understood that I do not thereby intend to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but intend to cover all modifications and alternative constructions falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a supporting device for a pulley, the com bination of a pulley, means for supporting said pulley in operatively spaced relation to a '00- operating rotatable element and including a member adjustable about an axis, said pulley being located on the line of said axis and connected with said member for movement therewith to various positions of adjustment.

2. In a pulley supporting device, the combination of pulley supporting means, means for pivotally mounting said supporting means for movement toward and away from a cooperating rotatable element, a pulley mounted on said supporting means for engagement by a belt, and means located between said pulley and the pivotal mounting means for adjusting the position of said pulley about an axis passing through said pulley substantially at right angles to the rotational axis thereof.

3. In a device for supporting a pulley, the combination of a pulley, a support therefor including pivot means permitting said support to swing on the line of a belt engaged by said pulley, means for yieldably urging said support in a belt tightening direction, and means on said support for adjusting said pulley about an axis which passes through said pulley and said support.

4. In a pulley supporting device; the combination of a pulley, supporting means for said pulley including a member adjustable about an axis transverse to the axis of said pulley, and means located between said member and said pulley for adjusting said pulley on the line of its axis, said pulley being located on the axis of adjustment of said member andbeing connected with said member for movement therewith to various positions of adjustment.

5. A device of the character described having, in combination, a base, a support pivotally mounted on said base for swinging movement on a transverse axis, means for yieldably urging said support in one direction of such movement, said support including a bracket mounted for rotatable adjustment about an axis substantially perpendicular to said transverse axis, a pulley supported on a transverse axis by said bracket and centered approximately on the line of the axis of said bracket, and means between said pulley urging said frame in one direction of its swing- 20 mg movement.

CARL LAWRENCE -MATTISON. 

